Canadian nationals queue to check-in before boarding a special flight for New Delhi to eventually reach Canada during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar on April 9, 2020.
"New Delhi: While the Union government turns elusive on the responsibility of repatriating the migrants stranded in Middle East countries, other countries are deploying their maximum effort to repatriate their citizens back to their homeland. Thus these countries managed to bringback most of their citizens abroad.
US, France, Germany, Japan, Turkey, European Union countries and others operated several flights for the purpose. These were done after international flight service came to a standstill on 22nd March.
The foreign ministry itself has revealed that 20,473 foreign citizens were sent to their home countries and that too when the country has been under a lockdown since 24th March.
However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)cites the shutdown prevailing in the foreign countries where non-resident Indians live as a hindrance to repatriating the citizens. Air India had operated special services to airlift foreign citizens. Air India flights carried Canadian citizens to Heathrow airport of London on 8th, 9th and 10th of this month. From there, these passengers were taken by Canadian authorities in their own flight.
Air India also has made agreements to airlift citizens of Germany, France, Ireland and others. United Airlines of US operated 87 services during the extreme conditions of shutdown across the globe. 50 services were operated to Latin American countries alone. Services were started to San Fransisco from New Delhi, Kolkata, Dehradun and Amritsar and to Atlanta from Mumbai on 4th April.
US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said that 44,000 citizens were repatriated as on 6th April. 2 lakh citizens of Germany were outside the country as on 17th March, when it first issued a Covid 19 alert. About 150,000 citizens were repatriated to the country within days. The repatriation operation was conducted in a joint effort of German foreign ministry and private tour operators.
1,300 Japanese citizens are to return within three days from Bengaluru. Japan Airlines will airlift them to Tokyo's Narita airport.
On Friday, Britain announced operation of 19 flights to airlift more than 3,000 citizens. South Asia-Common Wealth Affairs Minister of Britain, Tariq Ahmed, said that they are operating services to Peru, Algeria, Nepal and other countries.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mehmut Cavusoglu said that 3614 citizens were airlifted from European countries. The repatriated citizens were placed under quarantine of 14 days before leaving to their homes.
European Union countries jointly airlifted 1,159 citizens from Egypt, Morocco, Philippines, Argentina, Tunisia, Japan and other countries.